20 Questions
by halliegirl
Summary: Hinamori has someone that she likes! Through a game of 20 Questions, and a little help from Matsumoto, can Hitsugaya guess who? One-Shot with a little fluff!


Just a short fanfic I thought up during my break today.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters.

Summary: Hinamori has someone that she likes! Through a game of 20 Questions, and a little help from Matsumoto, can Hitsugaya guess who?

**20 Questions**

Hinamori Momo took a deep breath and paused in front of Squad 10's Division door. Today was the day. She couldn't stand it any longer. She'd been hardly able to eat and sleep, and whenever he was around, she couldn't stop staring. It all started during a practice session with him. _Toshiro…_ She thought wistfully. It had been quite some time that she was out due to her injuries sustained with Aizen and the fighting with the arrancar, and she was feeling pathetically weak and down on herself. He stepped up and offered to train with her. It happened a few days later during one of their sessions.

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"_Reign over the frosted Heavens, Hyourinmaru!" Hitsugaya Toshiro shouted, releasing the icy tidal wave toward Momo._

"_Hajike, Tobiume!" Momo shouted in retaliation, trying to block the onslaught of ice. Unfortunately, clumsy as she could be, she tripped, and her attack went flying wayward into the side of one of the buildings in the area, blasting a hole and sending debris flying towards her._

"_Hinamori!" Before she could even think to react, the ice that she'd been defending herself from instantly became her shield. She opened her eyes and gasped when she found his aqua gaze burning into her own, merely inches away. She found herself staring back, eyes wide for what seemed like an eternity, before he pulled her with him, narrowly escaping the shattering ice and crashing debris. "Are you all right?" He asked urgently, hands on her shoulders, checking her over for injuries. When she didn't answer him, he became concerned. "Hinamori?"_

_She jumped at the sound of her name and looked up, horrified to realize that a crimson blush was now burning her cheeks. "H-hai?" It came out in a meek question when she didn't want it to. The way he was staring at her… She'd never realized how beautiful those emerald eyes of his were._

_He frowned. "Are you running a fever, Hinamori?" He asked, putting a hand to her forehead. "You do feel warm. Baka! How many times have I told you not to strain yourself! We can always practice another day!"_

"_I-it's not that! I-I'm fine," she argued back, blushing deeper. Even his chiding was now making her blush! "Fine! I'm going back," she announced, feeling strangely irritated and frustrated at both herself and him. She found herself doing something completely out of her character: she stuck her tongue out at him, turned, and ran away in a huff._

"_What the hell is her problem?" Toshiro muttered, staring after her, puzzled._

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Which brought Momo up to now. It had been a week since that day, and every time he was near, she'd found herself staring at him nonstop. Whenever she got close, her cheeks would glow as red as a cherry. Whenever she began to drift off into sleep, his face would appear and surprise her into waking up. She didn't have much of an appetite. _Why do I feel this way? Am I getting sick? Or do I have a crush on him? But I had a crush on Aizen-taicho before, and it wasn't this way…_ She'd had a crush on Aizen before, right? Hinamori wasn't sure. She certainly blushed whenever he would compliment her, or patted her on the head. She had followed him around almost everywhere he went. She'd always followed him around with her gaze as he wandered about. But this seemed different somehow. Of course she'd wanted Aizen to acknowledge her. There was something more to this feeling than she'd felt before with Aizen. Perhaps it was because Aizen had only been her captain. Her idol. Toshiro was… more. He was her best friend. And for her to be feeling this way… Her eyes widened. _Love?! Is it possible?_

"Hinamori, what are you doing outside here?" A voice that was too familiar asked, startling her.

"I-I, uh…" She couldn't seem to form a proper sentence to answer Hitsugaya. After a few awkward seconds, she cried out, "I can't! I just can't!" And dashed away, once again leaving behind a very confused Toshiro.

Once she was sure she'd run far enough away, Momo looked around and realized that she was in one of the gardens by the court yard. Sakura trees were blooming all around her. It really was a pretty sight, although she didn't care right now. She found a bench and sank dejectedly down into it. _Toshiro probably thinks I'm a complete idiot now, _she thought, squeezing a couple tears out.

"So here you are, Hinamori-chan," Vice-captain Matsumoto Rangiku said, approaching her. "Taicho asked me to come find you. He said you were acting really funny earlier. You know you've got him pretty concerned."

"Gomen nasai," Hinamori whispered, looking away.

"You know he would have come out here, but he gets the distinct feeling that you've been avoiding him over this past week, and so he sent me."

The brunette shook her head slowly. "I wasn't trying to avoid him, believe me. But I guess it seems that way, doesn't it, Rangiku-san?"

The older woman smiled and came over to sit beside Hinamori. "I'm sure you have your reasons. What's troubling you, Momo-chan?"

"Please, don't tell anyone," Momo started. "Promise?"

Matsumoto nodded. "Certainly."

"I-I think I have a crush on someone," she whispered.

"Then why don't you tell Hitsugaya-taicho this?" Matsumoto said, shaking her head with a grin. "You are hopeless, Hinamori-chan."

"T-tell Hitsugaya-kun?! B-but I… I didn't even say I liked him!" Momo stuttered. "How did you know?!"

"Because you just told me," Rangiku giggled.

"Rangiku-san, that was mean!" Momo pouted.

"I've known that you've liked him for a long time," Rangiku said suddenly. "Probably before you even did. And of course, don't worry, because he has no clue of it, either. As intelligent as he may be, he's still a kid when it comes to women."

Momo blushed. "How can I tell him? What if he doesn't like me back?"

The strawberry blonde woman simply smiled back at her. She could tell Momo that her feelings were indeed returned, but that wasn't fair to her captain, now, was it? If someone was going to tell Momo what the 10th Squad captain's true feelings were, it should be Hitsugaya himself. It was his choice, just as Momo had her own choice to make about her own feelings. Finally, she had an idea. "What about if you talk to him, just like you used to back when you were younger? Play a game with him?"

"I can't even _look _at him without looking like a cherry!" Momo lamented.

"Here, I can give you some leverage. He has someone he likes," Matsumoto said, standing up.

Momo's face fell. "Oh… Well, then never mind…"

"You're just giving up like that, Hinamori-chan?" The strawberry-blonde raised an eyebrow at her.

She looked away. "He has someone he likes! It's not me, or I would've heard about it already, right? So, it isn't any of my business," she said miserably.

"Fine, wait here. I'll be right back. You know what cures broken hearts? Sweets! So I'll be right back with the sweets. Don't go anywhere!" Matsumoto rushed off. _It's time to take matters into my own hands!_ Before long, she was back in the office she shared with her captain, finding the very person at question seated at the desk, filling out paperwork. "Taicho, there you are!"

"Where else _would _I be, Matsumoto?" He snapped. "I'm filling out the stacks of paperwork that you were supposed to fill out over this past week, but instead were hidden behind the desk!"

The vice-captain brushed the comment aside and rushed over to her captain, pulling at his arm. "Taicho, come with me!"

"Knock it off, Matsumoto!" He yanked his arm away irritably. "I need to finish this since you _haven't_! It's due in the _morning_!"

Taking a deep breath, she spoke something she knew she'd regret: "I promise that if you come with me, I will finish my paperwork for tonight."

He snorted. "Sure you will."

"What can I say to get you to come with me? It's important! Hinamori-chan is waiting for you!"

Hitsugaya stiffened. "What?"

Realizing that she'd struck a nerve, Rangiku continued. "She's waiting for you, Taicho. I promised I would bring you over to her to play a game of… 20 Questions! I mean, there's a reason why she's acting so funny, you know."

A pause, then the captain continued scribbling once again on the papers in front of him. "And I should be concerned with something silly like this right now why…?"

"Well, there _is _someone she likes, Taicho," Matsumoto replied. "And she wants to tell you who it is she has feelings for."

That did it. Toshiro Hitsugaya was on his feet. "You will finish the paperwork when we get back, right?" He said, narrowing his eyes at her.

She groaned. "Hai, Taicho."

"Then lead the way."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A gust of cool wind made Hinamori look up from her feet, and her doe-brown eyes met with icy emerald ones. She gasped. "H-Hitsugaya-kun… What are you doing here?" Her gaze fell over to his vice-captain. _Rangiku-san,_ she thought miserably. _Why did you do this to me?!_ She made a move to get up, but Rangiku was by her side and gently making her sit down again.

"Now, now, what about that game of 20 Questions you and Taicho were going to play? I'm the referee. So let's get started!" The woman said, much too cheerfully.

"Hinamori… there's someone that you like?" Hitsugaya nearly choked on the words, but managed to maintain a calm appearance.

She thought she was going to die of both grief and embarrassment, and in a way, Momo wished that she would have. But instead, she was forced to answer. "Hai," she squeaked, in such a quiet voice Hitsugaya wasn't certain for a moment that she'd answered him.

"So… can I help you?" He finally asked. "Are you afraid to tell this person? Hinamori, I won't let you be hurt, so tell me who this person is." _Tell me, so I can warn that lucky bastard that if he ever hurts you, he'll become an ice-cube for the rest of his afterlife._

"I'm scared to, Hitsugaya-kun," Hinamori whispered.

"Then ask the first question, Taicho," Rangiku interjected.

He sighed. "Fine. Question 1: Is he in the world of the living?"

"No…" Momo answered shakily.

"Question 2: Is he in Hueco Mundo?" Hitsugaya was dreading this answer.

Shaking her head, Momo murmured, "No…"

Feeling relieved at that, he continued. "Is he a shinigami?"

"…Yes…"

Rangiku chose this moment to interject playfully. "Question 4! Is it even a 'he'?"

"O-of course!" Hinamori gushed, cheeks reddening.

That remark from Rangiku earned her a glare from her captain. He then continued. "5: Is he a ranked officer?"

"Yes." Her blush was still there, and she clasped her hands behind her back in worry. He was getting too close. What if he guessed it?

"Is he Kira Izuru?" That question scared Hitsugaya. He almost didn't want to hear the answer. He was so sure she was going to say yes.

"…No."

The boy captain thought for a moment. "Is he Abarai Renji?"

"No."

He was on question 7. He thought for another moment before asking, "Is he from Squad 4?" Thinking maybe it was that 7th seat, Hanataro. After all, he had recently been by to check on her when she'd come down with the flu, although Hitsugaya had been there through most of that.

"No, he isn't," Momo answered softly.

"Is he a fuku-taicho?" Hitsugaya asked.

"No."

"Is he your age?"

"No." Momo was shaking now. _He's going to guess now. I know it! He's going to laugh at me. Then hopefully I'll drop from the face of the earth! This is so embarrassing!_

"Does he have a bankai yet?"

"Y-yeah," she replied. That was question 10. She didn't know how much more she could take of this.

"Is it Kurosaki?"

At that, Momo could have fallen over. How in the heck did Hitsugaya figure that one? She was beginning to wonder if he was going to guess it. "No!"

"Ikkaku?"

"Wrong!"

"Baka, why can't you just tell me?" Hitsugaya snapped, eyes flashing.

"Why can't you just leave it alone, Shiro-chan?" She cried back, jumping to her feet and ready to bolt away.

Rangiku stepped in the middle. "Time out, you two! Taicho, you are still on question 13. What is the next one."

"Please, Rangiku-san, don't do this anymore. I can't take this," Momo said desperately.

Toshiro was quiet again, hearing the sadness and fear in his friend's voice. "I want to help you, Momo," he said softly. "Fine. I'll still play. Is he a captain?"

"Shiro-chan… please don't make me…"

"Fine, I'll answer for her. Yes he is, Taicho," Rangiku said firmly.

The captain nodded and then continued. "Is he the violent type?"

"Who do you think he is? Zaraki-taicho?" Momo wrinkled her nose. "Shiro-chan…"

"Okay, okay, fine! I get it. It's a 'no' then. Question 15: is he Ukitake?"

"N-no…"

"Does he have darker hair?"

"No, he doesn't."

Hitsugaya sighed. He was running out of questions. "Does he have lighter hair?"

"Yes," Momo answered shyly, looking away.

Three more questions to go. More and more they were pointing towards him. But it couldn't be. Momo didn't like Toshiro, did she? No way! She'd always thought of him as her little brother! Nothing more. No matter how much Hitsugaya wished otherwise, that would never change… would it? "Would you consider him to be a bit… height challenged?"

"Y-yes, I would," Momo said, finally summoning up the courage to look at him. "B-but I like that, too!"

He found himself smirking. He was fairly sure now. But he was still feeling rather nervous. To his knowledge, Momo didn't know anyone else who was short like he was, but he still wanted to be sure. "So… does he like watermelons?"

She blushed. Darn it! He knew. "A lot," she confessed.

"Is he me, Momo?" He didn't get an answer. Momo was running away. "Hey, Hinamori!" He Shunpo'd after her, and managed to catch her, both of them leaving Rangiku behind. He grabbed her by the arm. "Why won't you answer me? Come on, Hinamori! Look at me." He stopped when he noticed the tears.

"This is horrible!" Momo cried. "You know I like you now… I'm so embarrassed I could just die!" She broke down and cried into his captain's haori.

"Why would you say that, Hinamori?" He asked, his aqua eyes devoid of their iciness just this once.

"Because you already like someone," she sobbed, clutching the fabric to her chest and burying herself further into his haori, if that was even possible.

Hitsugaya chuckled. "I like this girl," he started. "I've known her for a long time. She's my best friend. We've had our troubles in the past, but I've never wanted to do anything but protect her. I like how she is cheery most of the time, but I hate it when she does cry, much like you're doing right now. She has brown eyes, and normally wears her hair like you do. But I prefer how she used to wear her hair in pigtails. She is a bit older than me, but really, I think she's just a big baby Bed Wetter," he finished.

"M-me?" She whispered hopefully.

"Yeah, I hoped that you would come to that conclusion." He put a hand to her cheek, lifting her teary face to his. "Don't cry. I hate that." He leaned into her, his lips meeting hers in a soft kiss.

She kissed him back, and wrapped her arms behind his neck, bringing them closer. "I'm glad, Shiro-chan. I had fun playing with you today."

"Me too," he said. "And I found out something else about this girl I like."

"What's that?"

"She's a pretty good kisser."

**The end!**

**Author's note:** Sorry about the cheesy ending. I started to get really tired and then finally, well, it turned out to be OOC and sad and well… just plain dumb in my opinion. But if you guys liked it, well, feel free to let me know. Even if you liked the beginning and thought the ending sucks, I don't care. Or if you think the whole thing could use work, I also love constructive criticism. I'm eventually working on a HitsuHina chapter fic, and I don't think it'll be this light and fluffy but it's still going to be a romance, so… Well on that note, have a good night!

--Hallie


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